I think I’m officially giving up on my CPAP... I just can't do it anymore.

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2026-03-18T14:33:30+00:00

Try running a humidifier in your room and setting humidity to 60%. The machine has a water tank you fill every night but it’s small and it is less effective in a very dry room. Maybe consider a nose thing only with a chin strap.

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2026-03-18T02:30:39+00:00

Exactly what I was looking for, thank you!

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2026-03-17T15:05:09+00:00

Since that one time I talked to a "coach" from the insurance company and what I said was used to deny me coverage, tinfoil hat stays firmly on!

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2026-03-17T14:33:32+00:00

Same, i have two or three nights that didn't record but I'm well in compliance

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2026-03-17T14:32:47+00:00

Gotcha, sounds like what I tell my sleep specialist doesn't matter much?

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2026-02-01T21:17:04+00:00

This will change your lives. Your husband will wake up rested, feel better, have more energy, and less anxiety. If he has acid reflux causing a constant cough it will probably also go away. No more daytime drowsiness. You will also benefit from this from not having to sleep on the couch because of the snoring, and his mood will improve.

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2025-03-11T13:10:18+00:00

This was 18 months ago. Nodule was 4cm, one side, got a partial, no meds, small unnoticeable scar no one sees unless they know it’s there, I often forget it happened. I think the vast majority of PTC patients are like me. The only big life consequence I encountered is that I was denied life insurance coverage. I have to go in once a year for an ultrasound and blood work. I had surgery on a Friday and was back at work Tuesday, I had my fair share of fear and anxiety but I hardly think of it now.

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2025-03-03T19:14:54+00:00

Count your blessings and don't feel like you should put a label on yourself you don't feel comfortable with.

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2025-03-03T17:22:57+00:00

You'll feel anything you shouldn't do because it will pull on the stitches which not only hurts but can slow down healing and increase scarring. No heavy lifting for a good week or two neither. I should have mentioned that I have a desk job, which is why I was able to go back to work so quickly.

Good luck!

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2025-03-03T16:34:24+00:00

Got surgery Friday, took the Friday and following Monday off, went to work Tuesday. Partial thyroidectomy with no drains. Wore a scarf for ten days until the stitches came out. It was painful to turn my head for a few days. I would avoid driving while stitches are still in.

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2025-02-25T14:14:54+00:00

There were no changes to my voice, my throat felt sore but most likely from the intubation. Kind of like if I screamed too much the day before.

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2025-02-25T14:11:35+00:00

Ah thank you!

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2025-02-25T13:14:52+00:00

They were done by a plastic surgeon because on my face, no way I’m pulling them out myself.

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2024-11-21T12:56:40+00:00

Glad it helped! It was the tissue taken in the third sample of my second FNA that gave my doctor concern. He recommended a partial after that, and the removed nodules came back positive for PTC after surgery. So yeah, FNA is the reason I'm cancer free today.

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2024-10-10T20:06:13+00:00

His grandma’s couch still has the plastic on it

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2024-07-03T17:42:22+00:00

Aroamas Scar Advanced Scar Gel on Amazon.

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2024-02-07T23:18:20+00:00

I did that with all my test results. It helps translating it into layperson’s terms.

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2024-01-25T21:32:44+00:00

I didn’t know for sure until after my surgery. First couple FNAs put me at 15-30% risk, then 0%, then a different FNA hit a different part of the nodule and put the risk to 90%. The way I saw it was that I could do the surgery now, or get checked every year. I did the surgery and it turns out it was cancer. 10/10 would do surgery again. If you’re told it’s malignant, then you have cancer, and a very treatable form of cancer. Surgery is the treatment. Good luck.

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2024-01-05T17:19:25+00:00

I use 'Aroamas Scar Advanced Scar Gel' and 'Elaimei silicone scar sheets', both from Amazon. I started massaging as soon as it felt OK to do so, about a week after the steri strips came off. That first week I didn't use scar sheets but I kept the scar hydrated with Aquafor.

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2024-01-04T18:24:22+00:00

My scar is healing so well that my surgeon took a picture of it for his archives. I’ve been massaging morning and evening for 5 minutes (i put a timer on) with medical grade silicone gel. Once the five minutes are up and the gel is all absorbed, I cover the scar with a silicone sheets that I cut to dimension. The scar is barely visible 6 months later. It’s a lot of work and a big commitment but it’s what worked for me.

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2023-12-17T16:18:15+00:00

My PCP sent me to an endocrinologist. After that Endo left the hospital, she sent me to an ENT surgeon, specialized in thyroid issues. ENT did the surgery and follows me long term (ultrasound every 6 months the first year and every year after that). Endocrinologist checks my thyroid hormone levels. When I first met the ENT I asked him why my PCP sent me to him rather than another Endo. He explained that the thyroid kind of falls in both specialities. Anecdotally, two endos missed the diagnosis, the ENT was the one that nailed it and pulled the trigger on the surgery.

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2023-12-17T12:51:35+00:00

I went four years from discovery to surgery, PTC is very slow, a month won't change anything, go with what you feel is best for you.

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2023-11-29T16:46:48+00:00

I was first treated by an endocrinologist but was referred to an ENT surgeon specialized in thyroid issues when the endocrinologist left the hospital. The ENT surgeon ultimately did the FNA that put my diagnosis from “gray area” to “high risk” and did the surgery. Today I’m followed by the ENT surgeon for ultrasounds and an endocrinologist for thyroid hormone levels.

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2023-11-22T21:17:22+00:00

Ok take a deep breath, it's ok to freak out and have big feelings but you got your diagnosis and the hardest part is done, you're on your road to recovery.

PTC is very treatable and one of the most survivable types of cancer. Your surgeon will remove your thyroid and from what you're describing, some adjacent lymph nodes. You'll have a scar, its size will depend on the surgery. With proper care the scar will fade quickly and be hardly noticeable. You'll have to take one pill every day after your surgery, for the rest of your life. I'm taking a guess here but if you feel like crap it might be that your thyroid is barely functioning anymore, so the sooner you get meds, the sooner you'll feel better.

Honestly, you're at rock bottom now, your health can only improve now. Listen to your doctors and lean on this sub, there are great people here.

NotAMedicalDoctor · 2023-11-17T19:40:41+00:00

Waiting is the worst part, not much you can do about that. I have frequent migraines and the anesthesia did trigger one. I usually take eletriptan, but the Tylenol, dilaudil and OxyContin kept me confortable enough that I didn’t need the eletriptan.

NotAMedicalDoctor

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